About Us

This resource was developed in partnership with The Health Communication Unit at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, and the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario. This is the latest in a series of resources on workplace health promotion. This series includes Introduction to Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion, Influencing the Organizational Environment to Create Healthy Workplaces and Evaluating Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion. These resources are available on The Health Communication Unit’s Workplace Project website at www.thcu.ca/workplace.

The Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario (CMHA Ontario)

Founded in 1952, CMHA Ontario is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to improving the lives of people with mental illness and their families, and to the promotion of mental health for all Ontarians.

CMHA Ontario achieves its mission through public education; applied research and policy analysis; by advocating for healthy public policy; and by advocating for an effective and efficient health system. CMHA Ontario also developed and operates Mental Health Works, an award-winning national workplace mental health training program. See www.mentalhealthworks.ca.

CMHA Ontario is a dedicated partner within the network of CMHAs at the national, provincial and local level. CMHA Ontario works closely with its 33 branches to ensure best practices in the organization and management and to ensure the delivery of services to consumers and families of individuals with mental illness, dual diagnosis and concurrent disorders. The CMHA in Ontario works in a variety of partnerships to provide a co-ordinated continuum of care using the social determinants of health model.

For more information on CMHA Ontario, visit www.ontario.cmha.ca.

The Health Communication Unit (THCU)

THCU at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto (U of T), is funded by the Ontario Agency of Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP). Founded in 1993, THCU was developed to provide training and support in health communication. In 1997 and 1998, its mandate was expanded to include health promotion planning, evaluation and policy change. In 2000, it was further expanded to include sustainability. That same year, THCU received extra funding to research and develop resources for health promotion in the workplace. This was the beginning of the Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion (CWHP) project, now in its tenth year.

The purpose of THCU’s CWHP project is to contribute to, support and otherwise improve workplace health promotion activities that assist adults in Ontario workplaces in leading healthy lives, through the provision of services and materials to intermediaries. The CWHP is designed to increase the capacity of intermediaries to guide those in workplaces who make decisions about the activities and services provided to employees.